Farmers’ Awareness and Perceptions of Seasonal Soil Dynamics Across Agricultural Land-Use Systems

Seasonal soil dynamics, expressed through changes in moisture, temperature, structure, porosity, colour and nutrient availability, are central to agricultural productivity and sustainability. These changes are shaped by land-use systems and management practices, yet farmers’ understanding and interpretation remain underexplored across agricultural systems. This study comparatively examines farmers’ awareness and perceptions of seasonal soil changes across varied land-use systems in southwestern Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of 700 farmers was conducted using structured questionnaires to capture awareness, perceptions, and information sources related to seasonal soil dynamics. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results show generally high awareness of seasonal soil variability, with 69.7% of respondents very aware of wet–dry season differences and 58.1% rating their awareness as very high. The dry season was identified as the least productive period by 97.0% of farmers, while 80.9% linked low yields to declining soil conditions. Most farmers relied on personal experience rather than formal extension services. Wet-season improvements in soil properties contrasted sharply with widespread dry-season degradation. The chi-square test indicated a statistically significant deviation in awareness levels (χ² = 467.93, p < 0.05), highlighting the need to integrate farmers’ experiential knowledge with scientific soil assessment and targeted extension support programmes.